


Wrapped Around Your Finger

by Late



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: (pro tip: don't trust me), David sees things AU, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mostly Fluff, Red String of Fate, i couldn't make the kids sad, i might add more things later, i swear my typing is better than my tags, not sure yet - Freeform, this has a happy ending i swear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-20 21:09:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11929317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Late/pseuds/Late
Summary: Young David, stuck for the summer at Camp Campbell, has to figure out what the strings hold for him and others, before he loses the one thing he's certain of.





	Wrapped Around Your Finger

**Author's Note:**

> i just wanted to put something small so the summary box wouldn't be empty. this is a work in progress, and constructive criticism is appreciated.
> 
> also, prepare for tiny gays. smol.

Ever since David was a kid at Camp Campbell, he's been able to see strings tying people together. And it seemed every other kid at camp had one; except him. His hands were string-free.

All the other kids had a pink or red string tied around their fingers. Sometimes, they'd get lucky and find the person their string connects to on the other end. Others? Not so lucky. They had to sit alone, even when surrounded by their 'friends.' No string buddies. Where was David's string buddy? Why did all these other people have string buddies and not him? Even the counselors had strings! So he stomped around camp and made a ruckus for half the summer, a bit upset at how unfair it was.

And by 'a bit,' I mean furious. The kind of rage that seethes beneath his skin and boils his blood until he blows over like a pot left on the stove unattended. Still, he isn't the happiest camper.

Until he caught wind one day of a new camper arriving. He heard and thought nothing of it, assuming that it would be another lame kid for him to take his temper out on. Until he lay awake in his cot that night and noticed it.

A string. A single, thin, light pink string had showed up on his finger. He held his hand up to the lantern next to his cot, watching the string dangle, making sure it was actually there and not a trick of the light. But it was indeed tied to his finger, just like any other kids' string. Did this mean that the newest camper was his string buddy? He felt terrified, anxious, so terribly nervous and...excited. The thought of having a friend so he wouldn't have to sit alone meant so much to him. So that night, before he finally fell asleep, he made a promise to himself. In the morning, when he met his string buddy, he'd do his best to be their friend, no matter what it took.

That promise turned out to be rather difficult. The sandy haired boy stepped out of the bus, and hearing his first words made David question if the string was right.

"Woah, radical!"

This couldn't be his string buddy, right? The string had gotten pinker, but that didn't mean anything. Right? So he kept avoiding it. Kept avoiding him. The one his string wouldn't let go of, who's named after a stone, and wore the most ridiculous clothing, including his stupid LA Gear light up sneakers he kept ranting about, and whose eyes reminded him of the clearest city sky he could remember.

The boy whose happy-go-lucky attitude and will to take part and learn ground his gears. Whose laugh could get his heart racing- from anger, no doubt. The sound repulsed him. And it wasn't just the way Jasper smiled that made the blood rush to his face and ears. There was no malicious intent behind that smile; and that made him more angry. How could this kid be so naive? So innocent, so ignorant, so...happy?

It had only been the first day and David felt a wider range of emotions in a few short hours than he ever had in a week. And as he stood off to the side, ignoring all attempts from the counselors to try and get him to do stuff with the group, he started noticing something.

Everyone loved the new kid. _Everyone._ The counselors, the kids, even Cameron Campbell himself. They all _loved_ him. How could they not? He was kind, and energetic, always followed the rules and always had a smile. But, no one else had his string. Davey did.

And Jasper had his. All his other fingers were bare, except the left hand's middle finger, matching up with David's on the right. So he took a breath and moved from where he was, walking closer to his supposed new friend. The thumping in his whole upper body was light, but just noticeable enough to make his legs go funny. A small crowd had gathered around Jasper as he told many stories from his past, and how excited he was to be here.

Strangely enough, David could only focus on how Jasper's string swayed with each exaggerated motion. On the way his hair bounced and swayed with his head, or how his eyes sparkled when talking about his favorite things. The smaller details, like the way he would rock on his feet while trying to stay focused, or the tiniest gesture, and how it could speak a thousand words.

He ran. As far from the crowd as possible, all the way out to his tent, and laid down in bed. It was all very confusing and he wasn't a fan. Why couldn't he remember a word Jasper spoke, but could remember how he'd play with the hem of his shirt when he was nervous about something? The smallest of things went whizzing through his brain, and he swore it gave him a headache. He cussed out the pillow too.

The next time anyone saw Davey outside his tent that day was at lunch. He sat, alone, at his favorite bench, thinking it through. He couldn't ignore this kid until he left camp. No, they'd be forced to interact, and forced interaction never ends well. He'd have to do something himself before Campbell or the counselors intervened. The sandwiches were dull, as always. The wood he sat on felt harder than usual. And his eyes kept darting around, looking for the hair and eyes that reminded him of a beach he'd never gotten to visit.

Jasper was sitting with friends. More like good acquaintances, but surrounded by people. He seemed to enjoy his food. The sandwich fell apart in David's fingers as he watched, barely hearing the other tell a joke that everyone but him understood. He just didn't get it.

The counselors decided much later that day who Jasper would get to bunk with. Some kid named Wentz. His tent wasn't very far from David's. This other guy usually wasn't in the tent at curfew, so it would be an easy time to meet up. Now all he had to do was wait.

And wait. Time seemed to move far too slow for his liking today. As if any other day, it moved by quick, and adventures were over too fast. But today, it was almost as if time itself had fallen into a bowl of molasses. And peanut butter. And snails. But in any case, it was difficult to wait for that golden opportunity.

Until at long last, it came. The sun was starting to go down across Lake Lilac, and David was waiting outside, catching sight of Jasper heading into his tent. This was it. With a deep breath of the dusky forest air, he started to walk. He barely caught himself before stumbling into the tent. But he paused. Could he do it? Could he really waltz into that tent uninvited to have a chat with a stranger who made his stomach flip with a glance? What would he say, how would he react, would he even...no. He had to do this. He couldn't keep himself in the dark any longer, and had to know what the strings actually meant. So with another determined breath, he pulled aside the tent's entrance flap.

Jasper was relaxing on his cot, nodding his head to an invisible tune, one leg crossed over a bent knee. One eye peeked open at the sound of a fabric rustle, and he was a bit surprised to see that it wasn't his new tent mate. David squinted in the lamp light.

"Oh, heya buddy! Don't think we've met before. What's your name?"

"...David. And you're Jasper."

"Yep, that's right on! Why don't you come on in?"

So, with some hesitation, David stepped inside and sat on the opposite cot while Jasper shifted to get comfy. It was oddly calm. The string pulled tight with no breaks in the middle, and it seemed Jasper was waiting for him to start talking. So he started talking. It was soft at first, and he could've swore it was all rambling that made no sense, but the other seemed to take interest.

He talked in great length about how he was a 'bad kid.' How he's never been one for friends, and little tips to get what he wants out of this horrible place.

And he talked about how he was lonely. How no one had ever tried talking through things with him, and how everyone else had strings, but this was his first--

"Woah woah, wait a sec. Strings? What're you talking about dude?"

"Oh. The little pink strings connecting people, see?"

David held up his right hand pointing to the exact string on his middle finger. Jasper only tilted his head in confusion.

"Dude, I...I don't see anything."

"What!? No, really, look!"

He went to grab the other's hand, linking their fingers together. He watched as the string tied their hands together, soon looking back to Jasper's face, hoping for some recognition. But all he got was confusion.

"I- look, man, I don't see any strings. All I see is you giving me a baloney reason to hold my hand."

That caused him to jump back, their hands separating. Baloney reason? How could he say something like that?! He could see the string connecting their fingers clear as day!

"It's not baloney! If the strings are baloney, then you're a load of hooey!"

"Woah man! Watch your language there!"

"I'll watch _your_ language you little-!"

David realized the other was cowering away from him. No, no this was all wrong. He never meant to scare him. Backing up a few steps, he turned his face away, holding himself as tears began to well up. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Jasper wasn't afraid anymore - or at least wasn't showing it. But he was now probably even more confused than before.

"David, are -"

"Why can't you see it?"

"What?"

"The strings. It's my first string and, and you can't even see that it's tied around your own finger."

The silence settled in the tent like a blanket of snow, but soon froze to a sheet of thin ice. David's face now wet and expression accusatory, he felt betrayed. With clenched hands he turned to leave- before feeling another hand around his wrist.

"David, wait!"

He didn't want to look; didn't want to see the anger. The confusion, the hurt, the accusing glare. David didn't want to see any of these things; instead, what he heard from Jasper was the opposite.

"David...tell me about the strings."

His eyes widened before turning to look at him, then down to their hands. Left to right. The string was still there. It was an odd pink gradient; deeper on David's side and lightened the closer it got to Jasper. He wanted to know more?

"Look, I might not be able to see them, but. They mean a lot to you. Yeah? So, why don't we sit down, and, I'll let you explain. I promise I'll believe you."

It took a moment, but he agreed in silence with a nod, this time sitting in the same cot. Each time their eyes met, he had this kind, accepting smile that he swore no other person could wear so perfect. After the first ten times of that, he took a sharp breath and focused on anything other than the boy next to him.

"Everyone has strings. They can be on either hand, and any finger. They usually start as pink, and some of them turn red. I've never really been sure of what they meant, and never had one, until last night. And my string ends with yours."

The tent went quiet again, but, it wasn't uncomfortable. It only meant Jasper had to take a moment to think. It still came as a surprise to David, that not everyone else could see the strings.

"So, like, these strings connect people who are friends? Or, can become friends?"

"...yeah. That, makes a lot more sense. And I've never had a friend before."

"Oh, dude! I don't think I've really had a friend either. People just tended to stick around me cause they think I'm cool. Or have money."

Jasper, no friends? Impossible. He was so far, the most well-liked person at camp. There was no way he didn't have some sort of friend group back home. But, he didn't argue. Something was telling him that was the truth. So he stayed quiet, trying to find words and failing, only to break out of this cycle by looking down. The other had grabbed his hand with the biggest grin on his face.

"David...do you wanna be friends?"

"I --" They're interrupted by the tent's curtain opening, the Wentz kid stepping inside. A tiny bit shorter than David with deep curly hair and only half as feisty.

"Uh. Do you guys know how late it is?"

They all looked at the clock sitting on the bedside table, blinking at it in silence for a few moments.

"Holy shnikeys we've been talking for like, two hours! Davey, you should get back to your own tent, before the Quartermaster catches you in here!"

He was about to protest before Jasper stood up, taking hold of his hand and dragging them both outside. The pair walked in silence back over to David's tent, and held hands for a long moment. It seemed as though _neither_ really wanted to let go. But one of them had to, for both theirs sake; so Jasper dropped their hands and turned away.

"Sleep well, Davey. It was...nice talking to you."

That went about as well as anyone would have expected. He choked out a "G-Goodnight, Jas." before he was out of view, probably too quiet to really hear from that distance. Sighing with defeat, he looked down at the pink string tugging on his finger, telling him to follow after.

In this moment, he decided to name them heartstrings. Not only were they the color usually picked for a heart, but it felt like his heart was telling him to follow too. Yet he still pulled away, and walked back into his own tent. His 'camping partner' lay splayed across his own cot, snoring softly with a thin line of drool down one side. Tired in more ways than one, Davey slumped into his cot and laid down, not bothering with the blanket tonight. It might get cold, but he couldn't exactly care right then.

He only hoped that tomorrow would fare better than today.


End file.
